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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27800470">Where She Belongs</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/S_L_Blake/pseuds/S_L_Blake'>S_L_Blake</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Harry Potter - Fandom</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, F/M, Happy Ending, Injury, Quidditch, Romance</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 15:48:24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,475</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27800470</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/S_L_Blake/pseuds/S_L_Blake</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>*ONE-SHOT* Fred had been too lost in his thoughts of the fight to notice the bludger that was coming straight at him. The pain making him black out and slip from his broom to fall to the ground below. When Hermione visits him in the Hospital Wing fearing the worst, can they mend their relationship?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Hermione Granger/Fred Weasley</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>75</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Make it... Quidditch!</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Where She Belongs</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Hello everyone, this is my submission to the Make It Quidditch Flash Fic Challenge from the Dumbledore’s Armada discord server. Thank you to my amazing beta TheOnlyCeeCeeJ and alpha Art3misiA for helping me with this. I do not own any rights to Harry Potter; they belong to J.K. Rowling. </p><p>Word Count: 1478<br/>Prompt: serious injury</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Slytherin had been hitting Gryffindor hard during the Quidditch match; it was obvious that they were intent on winning. Fred and George were doing their best not only in holding off the bludgers thrown towards them and their little brother - who was the keeper - in the cold November afternoon, but also blocking the opposing team from scoring any points with the quaffle. While Fred hit yet another bludger away from them, he hoped to Merlin that Harry would find and catch the Golden Snitch quickly.</p><p>The Slytherin team were certainly dangerous playing on the offensive and it was showing with their speed, giving no quarter along with their many attempts to get at the goal hoops that Ron was guarding diligently, but even Fred could see he was nervous. The chants in the Slytherin stands belittling Ron weren’t helping either, from the foul mood Ron was falling into. Fred had hoped that the match would take his thoughts off Hermione, who he knew would be in the stands, along with the argument they had had in the Astronomy Tower the night before. But like a bad penny, it came to the forefront of his mind unbidden and unwanted.</p><p>
  <em>“I think it’s time we told everyone,” Fred said, his back against the smooth, cold stone wall, sat in the alcove with Hermione by his side, his arms around her. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Hermione looked at him uncertainty, and a hint of fear clear in her chestnut brown eyes. “Why? There’s no rush. Besides, I like just having this time together.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“You mean you like it that we’re keeping our relationship a secret,” he replied, sighing. He got off the seating space and stood to face her as he continued, “With the added fact that Ron doesn’t know, right?”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“I didn’t say that, Fred,” Hermione retorted, her eyes filling with anger and sadness.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“You didn’t have to, ‘Mione it’s in your eyes. I can read you better than most and I know those are the reasons. I just don’t understand why. Besides the fact that you know I’m finishing school next year and I still want to be with you even then,” Fred replied, running a hand through his short red hair. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>“I’m not doing this… not now…” Hermione replied, averting her gaze as she grabbed her bag and started going down the circular steps. Fred watched as her shoulders were hunched and her arms were wrapped protectively around her body, as if doing so could shield her from the conflict.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Fred caught up with her and blocked her path, before she left the tower. “What are you so afraid of, ‘Mione?”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“I’m afraid of falling in love with you, alright! Knowing it might not last, that’s why I’m scared of us going public… I’ve already been hurt by Ron and I…”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Don’t want to be hurt by another Weasley, got it. Well, don’t worry, you won’t have to be,” Fred said, before storming past her, his heart breaking even as she called after him but he ignored her, he needed space. He wasn’t his stupid little brother who still had no clue how to act with a girl, he had no intention of hurting Hermione, but it was clear she just couldn’t see that, or maybe she didn’t want to. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>‘Maybe, that’s all we were ever going to be, a secret,’ he thought sadly as he made his way back to the Gryffindor Common Room. </em>
</p><p>Fred had been too lost in his thoughts of the fight to notice the bludger that was coming straight at him, nor the shout of his twin to watch out, or the way Hermione was screaming his name in the stands, fear in her eyes at what was about to happen. The impact of the bludger to his leg pulverised his knee cap, the pain making him black out and slip from his broom to fall to the ground below.</p>
<hr/><p>Tears fell down her cheeks and her heart was in her throat as she watched Fred fall, his body bouncing slightly when he hit the ground. A few minutes later, he had been lifted onto a stretcher and taken away to the Hospital Wing.</p><p>Not wanting to stay there a minute longer, she left the stands quickly; ignoring the calls from her friends or what they might think of her display. All that mattered was getting to Fred. She needed to see him, to know that he was going to be alright.</p><p>She ran as fast as her legs would go up the path to the castle and then up the staircases until she reached the Hospital Wing, her legs burning from the exertion. Once she was inside, she walked to Madam Pomfrey, who was coming out of the room she knew Fred was in, which Hermione knew was a room for those that had serious injuries and could rest easier in the separate area rather than with the other patients on the wing.</p><p>“Will he be alright? How bad is it?” Hermione asked, her eyes wild with worry.</p><p>Madam Pomfrey led Hermione into her office and sat her down. “Take a few deep breaths, please, Miss Granger.”</p><p>Hermione did as she was told and calmed slightly but her gaze remained upon the Medi-Witch.</p><p>“Mr Weasley has suffered a concussion and his knee was broken from the bludger’s impact. It is a serious injury but it will heal, though it will take time and he won’t be playing Quidditch anytime soon. He will be in the Hospital Wing for a week at most to give him time to rest and heal, and so that I can monitor that there is no damage from the concussion. At the moment, he is resting.”</p><p>There was relief in Hermione’s chestnut brown eyes mixed with sadness. “Can I see him? Please, Madam Pomfrey.”</p><p>“Normally, I would say no, but as I can see you care about him a great deal, yes, you can.”</p><p>“Thank you,” Hermione replied gratefully, following the older witch into Fred’s room. When the older witch had shut the door behind her, Hermione looked at Fred for a moment; he was sleeping and had a bandage around his head, while his right leg was held up in mid-air while it healed thanks to the Skele-Gro.</p><p>She sat by his bedside and stroked his red hair softly before taking a hand in hers, while soft, silent tears fell down her cheeks. She would just sit and wait until he woke up.</p><p>She’d felt horrible about the argument that they had had and knew that she should have never compared him to Ron. Fred was completely different to his younger brother. Fred was the cheekier of the twins, being able to make her smile even when she was annoyed at him, though she’d never stay that way for long. But he saw her in a way Ron never did and wasn’t afraid to show that he cared. She knew that she was in love with him, that she had been for a while; it had just taken this for her to come to her senses.</p><p>“Mione, please don’t cry,” he said, breaking her from her thoughts, his fingers stroking her hand as his sleepy russet brown eyes gazed at her.</p><p>“I’m sorry, Fred, I didn’t mean to wake you,” she said, apologising, feeling guilty.</p><p>“You didn’t, I was dozing, thought it was best while the pain potions and Skele-Gro do their thing.”</p><p>“I came straight here after you fell, I was so scared, I…” she choked up as more tears fell down her cheeks.</p><p>Pushing himself up into the best sitting position he could, he took her into his arms, stroking her wild brown curls, comforting her.</p><p>“I’m not going anywhere, ‘Mione,” he said, kissing her forehead softly.</p><p>Once she’d calmed down and stopped crying, she met his gaze and spoke. “I’m so sorry about last night. Worry and doubt got the best of me but that’s no excuse. I know you aren’t Ron, Fred. I know that you wouldn’t hurt me and I… I love you. I want to make a go of this… of us, even when you finish school.”</p><p>He stroked her cheek softly, smiling at her. “Could you say that again please, I didn’t quite catch it.”</p><p>She laughed softly and replied, “You’re incorrigible, you know that?”</p><p>“Perhaps, but you do love me,” he said, kissing her softly and she moaned quietly returning the kiss until she broke it breathless.</p><p>“You need rest.”</p><p>He shook his head, his eyes alight with a cheeky glint as he said, “No, I need you here with me, you’re all the medicine I need, ‘Mione, and I love you too.”</p><p>She blushed and kissed him again, before resting her head gently on his chest, his arms around her. They had each other and that’s all that mattered.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>If you enjoyed this, let me know what you thought by leaving a review.<br/>I’ll see you all again very soon,<br/>S L Blake x</p></blockquote></div></div>
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